River
by Kya Strife
Summary: When a girl comes into the lives of Reno and Rude, she stays there. After being torn apart for a mission, the two Turks come back to find their lover has changed, and it might not be for the best. Sukky summ. Rated for later chapters
1. Prelude

_The wind howled in the partly sheltered ally where she was curled up, attempting to hide from the rain. Her Mako blue eyes were bright with fever, and her blond hair fell limply around her body. The black jeans and shirt she was wearing wasn't helping her situation. The soaked fabric clung to her shivering form, more water running into her knee-high boots. Blood ran from a few scrapes on her arms. She sat, shivering, keeping a tight hold on the slender blades her mentor gave her before his death. The sword was strapped to her back, and the sai were in arm sheaths, gripped tightly in her hands. Her head jerked up, sending thousands of water droplets flying, when she heard the unmistakable sound of booted footsteps falling heavily on the ground. She carefully and quietly slid the blades on her arms out of the sheaths, keeping them pressed against the leather until she saw boots standing in front of her. She looked up to decide if the man in front of her was friend or foe, and lost her breath._

_Mako-enhanced aquamarine eyes were staring down at her from under a pair of goggles pushed up on the owner's head. Bright red hair framed an angelic face, pale and freckled slightly. The white shirt of the black suit that was signature to the Turks was unbuttoned at the top, and the black jacket hung open freely. Her eyes traced the rippling muscles hugged by the wet fabric before trailing up to his face again. A soft smile was dancing on his lips as he held a hand out to her. She glanced at the Electro-rod in his left hand, long, elegant fingers curved around the handle, before flicking back to his extended hand, and finally his eyes again._

"_I won't hurt you, yo. I wanna help." She reached a shaking hand out after sliding her blades away and grasped his hand, feeling the black leather, fingerless glove against her palm. He carefully pulled her to her feet and his smile faded when he caught sight of the tattoo on her shoulder. "Runnin' away from the Reds?" Alarmed eyes met his. "Don't worry. I can take you somewhere safe. Come on." She took two shaky steps before her knees buckled. The red-head caught her before she hit the ground and swung her up into his arms, scooping up her bag from the ground beside where she was sitting. "I guess that can be expected of someone sittin' out in the rain, yo. Name's Reno, zotto." The girl coughed slightly before answering._

"_River. No last name." Reno nodded before peering out of the ally and darting across the street._

"_Ok, River. You want the Turks HQ or my place?" River raised an eyebrow at her choices._

"_Your choice." Reno nodded and grinned down at the girl._

"_My place it is. I hope my partner's home. Damn I need a beer." River giggled a little before a strong wave of something rushed over her._

"_Reno? I think I'm gonna pass out." Reno cursed as the girl went limp in his arms._

"_Reno…."_

"_Come on, Rude! She was Runnin' from the Reds, zotto!"_

"_Reno. We're Turks. We're not here all of the time."_

"_I know! She can stay here when we're not, yo!" River slightly cracked her eyes open to see Reno sitting right beside her on a huge bed. Towering over her rescuer was a dark skinned, bald man, his large hands resting on Reno's shoulders. The red-head sighed and leaned forward, closing his eyes against the taller man's stomach. "Please, Rude. She's just the way I was when I joined the Turks." Sapphire eyes moved to the aqua-eyed man's shoulder, surprised to see a tattoo matching hers dancing under the strap of his tank top. The darker man traced the lines of the tattoo for a moment before smiling and pushing Reno away a little bit, tilting the smaller man's head up._

"_I hope she's not like you. I remember someone attempting to keep the stomach of a certain redhead full almost 24/7." Reno chuckled a little._

"_You're lucky I'm not like that. I clean and cook, too." Reno jumped off the bed when River spoke. The girl sat up and smiled up at the man above her. "I take it he doesn't do that either?" Rude shook his head and offered the girl a shy smile._

"_No." Rive swung her legs out of the bed so that she was sitting on the edge. _

"_I know I'm not in the position to be doing this, but I'll make a deal with you. I'll cook, clean, and whatever else you ask of me in exchange for food and room." Reno waved a hand towards the girl, grinning. Rude sighed and rubbed the top of his head. River tilted her head and tried a disarming smile. The taller Turk shook his head and mumbled something that sounded like ", I'm getting too old for this" or "I can't believe I'm doing this."_

"_Fine." Reno crowed and danced around the room a little bit before he was grabbed and thrown onto the bed. Rude turned back to River, and the girl shrank away a little bit. "However, there is only one bed, and we are not going to allow you to sleep on the couch." River's eyes widened when she realized what was being implied. _

"_It's fine. I'm used to sleeping on a floor." Reno rolled his eyes and pulled the girl to lay on the bed with him, pillowing her head on his stomach._

"_If they're anything like I remember, you're also used to sleeping in the same bed with multiple men. You will stay in here with us, zotto, and you'll get over it." River blushed at his phrasing, and squeaked when Rude lifted her and tossed her to lie beside Reno on the bed. The redhead automatically wrapped an arm around River's waist. The girl sighed and settled down._

"_Fine."_


	2. Chapter 1

Three years later…..

River sighed and rolled her head on her shoulders, popping her neck and leaning back in her chair. Her newly dyed raven locks fell over the back of the seat, nearly brushing the floor when she tilted her head back again. The white shirt of her uniform contrasted with the black jacket and pants of her uniform. Her partner was sitting in the chair across the room, watching her attempt to relax after finishing her paperwork. His dark brown hair brushed his shoulders, and his green eyes glittered at his partner.

"River. Go home." River shook her head and glanced at the pictures on her desk. Her eyes lingered on the two faces in one of the thin black frames.

"I'm fine, Ross. I'll only head to the nearest bar and get totally drunk. Besides, you're the one with the wife and kids. I'll clock you out." Ross shook his head and walked over to hug his partner.

"I won't be the one doctoring your hangover in the morning." River laughed and waved her partner away. "You know Marie and I always have the spare room open." River swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head again, her eyes automatically seeking those in the familiar pictures.

"Thanks, Ross. But, I can't." Ross nodded in understanding, carefully hugging the girl and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Be careful, little sister. Tseng and Elena will have my ass if you don't show up in the morning." The younger Turk smiled and waved her partner out of the office.

"Ross!" The brunette poked his head back in the office. "We're still on for tomorrow night, right?" Ross nodded and pretended to check his planner.

"Armondo's after work, right? Marie is meeting us there." River nodded and Ross finally left. Glancing at the pictures on her desk again, River sighed and opened the top drawer of her desk, pulling out a familiar bottle. She opened it, and took a swing of the amber liquid inside, glaring at the files on her desk.

"_Hey, Riv. Can I talk to you for a moment?" River looked up from where she was glaring punching bag in front of her. Her hair was pulled into a pony-tail, a few stray strands falling free and sticking to her sweaty face. Reno chewed on his lower lip before sitting on the bench beside the girl._

"_What's the matter, Re?" River had gotten really good at reading her room mates' faces, and instantly knew something was wrong. Reno sighed and looked at the far wall of the apartment complex's gym._

"_Rude and I…..Rufus….DAMN!" River jumped when Reno lept to his feet and began pacing in front of her._

"_Reno?" The redhead stopped and stood in front of the then blond. A pale hand slowly reached out to gently cup her cheek, brushing blond strands from her face._

"_Rufus is relocating us to Rosso City." River's heart paused in it's beating for a moment._

"_Ok…I don't mind moving, Reno. You know that." The girl's hear stopped and plummeted when Reno shook his head._

"_You can't come with us, Riv." River could feel her eyes filling with tears, blurring the face above her. She shook her head in denial._

"_No." Reno pulled the girl against him. She buried her face in his stomach. Pain ripped through his heart as he held her and stroked her hair, the first of the sobs ripping from her throat. He glanced up to find Rude standing not too far from the doorway, watching them. The dark-skinned man held up three fingers and turned to leave. "When are you leaving?" Reno looked back down at River to find her face still in his midsection. He swallowed the lump and fought the tears from his eyes before answering._

"_Tonight. In a few minutes." River looked up._

"_No. No, that's not enough time!" Reno stroked her hair again as he swooped down and pressed his lips against hers, trying to say everything in that one kiss. She pressed back, conveying the same feelings._

"_I will come back for you, River. I promise. Rude and I will both come back for you. Wait for us?" River nodded and accepted the second kiss, holding onto the Turk, trying to make it linger._

"_I will always wait for you." Reno pressed one last kiss to River's forehead and almost ran from the room to hide the tears he had been fighting back. River sat on the bench for a moment in shock before breaking down completely. She was still there when Elena went looking for her after Reno called and asked her to check on the younger girl. The older blond held the girl in her arms as she poured her heart out, crying herself to sleep. Elena called Tseng to help her get the smaller girl to bed before going after her own boss._

River snorted to herself and took another swing from the bottle.

"You know, drinking alone can be called suicidal." The chair across from the girl's desk slid back as a man with shoulder-length black hair settled into it. River reluctantly passed the tequilia across the desk. Tseng nodded to the girl and took a swing, passing the bottle back for her to take another drink. This went on for a few minutes of silence before Tseng sighed and leaned closer to the girl. "River…"

"Three years tomorrow." Tseng looked confused.

"What?"

"Three years since they left tomorrow. Another year, another damned phone call, another night at the fucken bar." Tseng watched as the girl drained the remainder of the bottle before he stood and walked over to her side of the desk.

"River." Unable to find any other words, the older Turk pulled the girl closer in a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as she wrapped them around his waist and hid her face in his stomach.

"I miss them so much, Tseng."

"I know, little sister. I know."

Reno cursed as he threw the bottle in his hand across the room. Instinctivly, Rude reached out and snatched the bottle from the air before it could hit the wall and shatter. The redhead sent a level glare at his partner before dropping to sit on the floor, pulling another bottle towards him.

"Ruin all my fun, why don't ya. You can't let jus' one hit the damn wall, can ya?" Rude sighed at his partner's grumbling and set the bottle on the floor beside his chair. He rose and walked over the kneel beside the sulking redhead.

"Reno." Carefully, Rude reached out to pull his partner to him. Reno leaned against the taller man and closed his eyes.

"Can't keep a promise worth shit, can I? I promised River, yo. I promised her so many things. I'd stop drinkin'. I'd come back for her. I'd never leave her there alone." Rude stopped the hand with the bottle. "Here I am, three years later, still leaving her alone and shit, zotto." Rude whispered meanlingless reassurences until the door opened to reveal Rufus Shinra himself. Reno looked up and growled. The bald headed man attempted to grab the drunk before he attacked, but missed. Rufus stepped to the side and grabbed Reno's wrists as he passed him, effectively pinning the taller man to the door. "It's his fucken fault! He's the reason I left River! Fucken bastard! Lemme go! Imma gonna fucken kill you!!" Rufus smirked at Reno's choice of wording. "You're the reason we left! You're the one who's keeping us here!"

"That's why I'm here, Reno. We've got the situation under control here. Time for the two of you to go home." Reno dropped the bottle he was holding and suddenly hugged his boss. He looked up him, grinning stupidly.

"You know, I love you, right?" Rude rolled his eyes and jerked the other Turk towards him, chuckling a little when he fell over and passed out. Rufus chuckled as the taller man scooped the other into his arms and threw him onto the bed. "You leave tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, sir."

"Just make sure you're home in time to keep that girl from heading to the bar. We don't want a repeat of last year." Rude looked up at his boss.

"Sir?" Rufus sighed and settled in the chair, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Last year, Tseng called me back to Midgar to do some damage control. Apparently, around this time of year, River gets depressed and starts drinking. Badly. Last year, they let her leave the office early, and her partner was given orders to follow her. The first place she went was the nearest bar, drank more than the legal limit, and started multiple fights. When she got out of there, she headed back to the apartment she shared with the two of you, where she still lives, and slit her wrists." Rude's face grew cold and emotionless. Reno just rolled over on the bed, back facing the others and opened his eyes, fully aware of what was going on. "Tseng and Elena barely kept her alive."

"We'll leave as soon as possible." Rufus nodded and rose to leave. He paused by the door and turned back to Rude, tossing the man a small white envelope.

"Give that to her." Rude nodded and tucked the packet in the inner pocket of his jacket. "Good night."

"_Damn it, Reno! What the hell are you doing?" Reno glared up at his partner, a small blade in his hand._

"_I can't go back to River." Rude sighed and picked his partner up, tossing the blade away from his hand._

"_Reno. You kill yourself now, you'll never see her again. Stay alive, and Rufus will send us back." The redhead cursed and threw the closest object at the wall._

"_Rufus Shinra ain't sending us back to River. We're stuck here until we die." Rude shook his head and dumped his partner on the bed. "Damn Shinra." Reno leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. "River."_

"We're comin' back, Rivs. We're coming home." Rude smiled when he heard Reno's voice behind him and turned to sit on the bed beside his lover. "I guess I finally get to keep my promise." The darker man rubbed a hand up and down the pale man's bare back, lightly tracing the tattoos he had there. The familiar gothic-Celtic swirl mark of the Reds curved around his shoulder, and a pair of black and red angel wings faned out across his shoulder blades and dipped into the hem of his jeans. "We're finally going home." Rude nodded, then frowned as something that Rufus had said sunk in.

"She's still living at our apartment?" Reno heard the question in his lover's voice and sat up, turning to face him.

"What?"

"Rufus said she was still living at our old apartment." Aquamarine eyes grew wide as he thought.

"Those apartments were Turks only. Guests must be staying with a Turk, no ifs, ands , or buts," he thought outloud. Rude slid his sunglasses from his face to look at Reno with serious brown eyes.

"Which means she joined the Turks after we left." Both men stared at each other for a moment. "We'd better hurry." Reno nodded and threw himself off of the bed, reaching automatically for the white shirt hanging off the back of the chair, and hopping into his boots. Rude tossed all of their belongings into their worn duffel bags and slipped his glasses back on just as Reno was tossing his black jacket over the shirt. The two locked the door and dropped the keys off at the office downstairs, practically running for the car. Reno tapped a worn rythum on his leg as Rude started the truck. Halfway through the city, the taller Turk reached over and silenced the tapping fingers. "We'll get there in time. Don't worry." Reno nodded and looked out the window.

"River."


End file.
